


One of Those Days

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Disturbing Imagery or Content, Drama, Episode: s05e14 An Khe, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-30
Updated: 2008-01-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 10:20:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "It had been a long ordeal, one he'd just as soon forget.  But deep down inside, he knew he never would."  On the eve of the inauguration, Leo visits his past.  An Khe ties, AU ending.





	1. Bad Trip

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This is something I've had rattling around for a while now. Leo's comments in An Khe about the responsibility he had to live his life with honor and integrity got me started. Thanks.  


* * *

They sat huddled against the carcass of a fallen tree, under a small outcrop of rock, holding their breath, waiting, trying to make themselves invisible. The angry voices that echoed through the jungle seemed to come from everywhere, but the same rain and darkness that blinded their hunters also hid them from view. The two downed Air Force officers realized that there were any number of ways this could go, most of them bad. Caught deep in the jungle, behind enemy lines, rain and darkness were their only allies now.

As the patrol gradually shifted its search, Kenny O’Neal put his weapon back into its holster and quietly moved toward his friend. There was blood flowing from a deep gash in Leo McGarry’s right leg. O’Neal reached down and split the pant leg of Leo’s flight suit open to take a closer look at the mangled flesh.

“I think it’s broken,” the injured pilot managed.

“We landed pretty close to base camp, just out that way,” O’Neal whispered, ignoring the implications of what a broken leg with an open wound meant for his partner in this environment. He wanted to give Leo as much hope as possible, and it didn’t hurt Kenny’s morale to say it out loud. If they were to have any chance at all, he had to truly believe they were going to make it out of this situation.

“It’s a coupla miles. You can’t be dragging me all over the jungle … gotta leave me … you won’t make it with me along,” Leo tried.

Kenny pulled out the large bandage and powered antiseptic they had been trained to use. “You’re not so heavy, Old Man.” As he tied the dressing into place, tightening it firmly, Leo cried out and grabbed the top of his thigh. Shock was beginning to have its way with the injured pilot. 

“Please,” McGarry begged, lips trembling, “you gotta go.”

“Forget it. I’m not leaving you, Leo.” Lieutenant Kenny O’Neal grabbed hold of the front of Leo’s flight suit, pulling him away from the stump. He carefully maneuvered himself behind Leo and wrapped his arms around his flying partner’s chest, dragging him back the way they’d come, toward the river. 

“Uhh!” Pain shot through Leo’s right leg all the way up to his groin and into his lower back as he ground a scream to death between clinched teeth. The trauma of being ejected from a jet that was capable of traveling at over 1,200 miles per hour hadn’t been kind to any of his joints, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought he remembered that his hip had actually been separated. It all happened so quickly that the details eluded him, but he knew for a fact that the landing had been far from perfect.

O’Neal tried to ignore the grunts of pain emanating from his friend as he hefted the Captain onto his shoulder and carefully made his way deeper into the jungle. He knew that Leo’s leg was badly broken, but also knew that it wouldn’t be the only thing that was broken if the small band of North Vietnamese patrolling the area ever caught up with them. They were all around - he could still hear the occasional burst of automatic gunfire - and Kenny wasn’t at all interested in spending any time in the Hanoi Hilton. He and Leo were in enough trouble as it was: the large wound covering the lower half of his friend’s leg was going cause major problems if Kenny wasn’t able to find him help, and soon. 

The incessant rain was a mixed blessing, for it both helped hide any tracks the two airmen might leave, but made foot travel treacherous. It would have been bad enough if both men had been able to walk on their own, but with Leo’s injuries, Kenny would have to negotiate the terrain for them both. 

Within two hours, they had left the small group of voices far behind, but weren’t out of trouble by any means. Breathing hard from their travels, Kenny carefully lowered Leo to the ground and checked his friend’s condition. McGarry had passed out almost immediately after he’d been picked up, the agonizing pain in his leg overwhelming any sense of self-preservation that might remain. 

“Leo,” Kenny whispered. “Hey, can you hear me, Pal?”

“Mmm.” 

“Come on, Leo,” he urged. “Open your eyes, Buddy.”

Leo’s head lolled to the side, as his eyes slowly drifted open. Suddenly, the excruciating pain in his right leg penetrated the haze he was in, bringing reality back with a vengeance. “Oh, shit! Oh, my God,” McGarry groaned as he tried desperately to grab his thigh. “… the hell happened?”

“Ah, come on now, Leo, you remember. Your stellar piloting got us shot down,” Kenny responded with a small grin as he checked the injured leg. 

“Stellar … funny. Got … lucky … that’s all,” he ground out through clenched teeth. 

“Right,” O’Neal said distractedly as he check under the bandage … he didn’t like what could see through the semi-darkness. Though it was slowed by his ministrations, the bleeding from Leo’s injured leg hadn’t completely stopped, and he was quickly running out of the powdered antibiotic to keep the infection that was sure to follow at bay. “We gotta keep moving, Leo. There’s patrols all over this jungle, and sun’s startin’ to come up - we got just a little bit of dark left.”

“Leg’s on fire … hurts.”

Kenny put his hand on McGarry’s forehead. “You feel a little warm there, Pal. I gotta try to find us some water, maybe that’ll help till we get out of here.”

“Don’t know ‘bout that,” Leo mumbled. “You … might be … carryin’ … dead man.”

“Stop it, Leo. We’re gonna make it. We got some people to go back to, remember?”

McGarry’s brow furrowed in concentration. “Jenny,” he finally sighed, closing his eyes in exhaustion. “Jenny … Jed … Abbey.”

“That’s right. Jenny, Jed, and Abbey. How about your mom and sisters and little brother?” Kenny added quietly.

Leo’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, but he was beginning to get disoriented, his answers slow, speech slurred. “Gotta get home,” he whispered. “Promish … sher …”

First light was just beginning to cast its shadows through the canopy overhead. “Leo, listen to me. I’m gonna pick you up, and we’re going to get as far as we can before we stop for a rest, okay?”

“Rest,” Leo repeated, as he began to drift again. “Gotta … ress.”

Kenny watched as his friend slipped back into unconsciousness, “Yeah, you may be better off that way, Mac.”

O’Neal pulled the injured pilot onto his shoulder once more and started up a small rise in the jungle floor. As Kenny moved toward the top of the hill, he heard engines … _helicopter engines!_ He ran as fast as his burden would allow, but not knowing exactly where the helicopter was, he was reluctant to make too much noise. Enemy patrols were still a major concern. O’Neal listened as the sound gradually became more distant. 

“Shit,” he whispered. “Well, Leo. Looks like we’re on our own for a while. Don’t worry, though. We’re gonna get through this.” Kenny wasn’t sure whether he was trying to convince his unconscious partner or himself. “God, help us,” he asked, crossing himself. “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,” he began. “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” Kenny finished quietly, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”


	2. Tommy, Can You Hear Me?

It had been two and a half days since they’d been shot down over Thud Ridge. Kenny had managed to locate materials to construct a make-shift splint for his friend’s leg on the first day, but McGarry was now running a high fever, a complication of the invading infection in his leg. As a result, he had become delirious - more than once the injured man had endangered their hiding place. Kenny had finally resorted to holding his hand over Leo’s mouth, laying on top of him, trying to keep him from thrashing about when patrols were near. 

They’d become used to this, traveling under the cover of darkness, taking care during the day to only move when they knew it was safe. “Leo, I’m gonna put you down for a bit, okay?” Kenny eased his burden to the ground. “Hey, can you hear me?” There was no response from his unconscious friend. He carefully wiped the dirt and dried blood from Leo’s face, then laid the back of his hand on the captain’s pale forehead. “Dammit, you’re burning up.” He looked around for a place to hide the injured man, but there was none to be found. This would have to do for the moment.

Something stirred deep within Leo at his friend’s gentle touch. “Jenny?” he called weakly.

O’Neal had to smile despite himself, “No, not quite.”

“Jenny? Where’s … she?”

“Jenny’s not here, Mac. We’re in-country, she’s Stateside, remember? You gotta get yourself home to her.”

“Gotta … get back,” he mumbled as his eyes fluttered open. “Jenny …”

“Yeah. Yeah, you do.” Kenny agreed, maneuvering Leo to a more comfortable position. “Hey, listen to me, Mac. I think I see a clearing up ahead. I’m gonna go up there, scout it. I think we’re close enough to set off a flare if it’s safe. I’ll be right back.” He laid his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Stay quiet, Leo, you understand me?”

“Mmm.” As hard as he tried, Leo couldn’t keep his eyes open.

“Listen to me,” he urged. “It’s important for you to stay still and keep quiet, understand?” Kenny shook his friend’s shoulder, “Leo, say you understand.”

“I … ‘stand,” he whispered.

The lieutenant sighed heavily and looked skyward, “God, help us.”

O’Neal slowly made his way to the opening, gun drawn, praying he wouldn’t have to use it. One 9mm pistol was no match for the AK47’s the enemy was sure to have at its disposal. _I wonder why they even bother giving us these things, he quietly mused. Nothing more than show if we run into more than one VC. Well, at least it’s something, you idiot!_ “Okay, it’s a little disturbing that I’m yelling at myself in my head,” he mumbled quietly. 

As Kenny got close to the opening, he paused, crouching behind a clump of trees and tangled grasses. He waited a full ten minutes, watching, scanning the edges of the clearing before moving into the opening and pulling out the flares. “Please, God,” he asked, “let the right people be looking.”


	3. Promises Made

The low-lying clouds had finally begun to clear, allowing the morning sunlight to filter through the dense canopy … in a few hours, it would be another sweltering, humidity-filled day. Kenny carefully made his way back to Leo’s hiding place. “Hey, I’m back. I set off a couple flares. Hope our guys were watching. Leo?” 

The injured captain didn’t move.

“Leo?” he tried again, this time gently shaking his friend’s shoulder. “Leo, come on, Pal. Don’t check out on me now that we’re so close to getting out of here.” Kenny sat on the ground behind his friend and pulled him close. He stilled, waiting to feel Leo’s chest rise and fall. Over the last few hours he noted that the Captain’s breathing had become quicker, shallower, gradually more and more labored. “Hey there, Mac, come on. You’re scarin’ me.”

The man in his arms stirred. “Ke … Kenny?” Leo swallowed hard as his eyes rolled open, fever-bright and unfocused.

Inwardly, O’Neal sighed, relieved. “Yeah.”

“Gotta …promise me …”

“Leo, don’t try to talk, just rest.”

“Tell her … for me … Jenny … tell her … tried … get back.”

“Goddammit, you hold on, Leo! You hear me?” O’Neal held him tight and whispered vehemently in his ear, “Don’t you dare die on me now!” 

Tears formed at the corners of Leo’s eyes as he stared, unblinking at the small patch of bright blue sky above them. _It would be so easy to give in, so easy to let go. Why won’t Kenny just let me go?_ “Tell her … sorry,” he finally whispered. “I … didn’t … keep promise.”

“Leo …”

“Things didn’t … turn out … for … I … wanted to …” He stopped, unable to finish.

“You wanted to what, Leo?” Kenny asked quietly as he brushed his hand over his friend’s forehead.

Leo slowly closed his eyes as the tears finally fell. “Ask to … marry me …”

O’Neal held Leo’s head tight to his shoulder, willing him to pay attention. “Listen to me, you’re gonna be able to do that. I sent up a coupla flares, remember? Help’s gonna be here soon.” He tried desperately to keep Leo with him, but deep down inside, Kenny knew he was watching his friend slip away. “Come on, don’t give up now, not when we’re so close. Please, Leo,” he begged, “please hold on.”

McGarry opened his eyes and stared at the man who had undoubtedly compromised his own safety to carry him through the jungle for the past two and a half days. There was still so much Leo wanted to do, so many things he needed to say, so much he’d left undone. But he too, knew the score on this one – he was fighting a losing battle. “I’m sorry … Kenny … just … too much … can’t …” Leo let out a slow breath, as his eyes rolled back in his head. 

Kenny watched, waiting for the man in his arms to breathe in. “Leo?” 

Suddenly, the injured pilot jerked, sucking in a deep breath. “JENNY!”

“Shit, Leo!” O’Neal quickly clamped his hand across his friend’s mouth, but the captain had already lost his battle to stay conscious. “Dammit. We’ll have every fuckin’ VC in country lookin’ for us now,” Kenny muttered.


	4. A Little Help from His Friends

They’d been sitting in the same spot for over two hours, waiting. Kenny checked his friend once again, bowed his head to ask for help, trying desperately to hold on to that last thread of hope. O’Neal wiped the sweat off of the unconscious pilot’s face, then pushed himself off the ground and stood, gently laying Leo down. Suddenly, he stopped, pausing as if something was tickling his subconscious. A low, rumbling sound, far in the distance. Familiar. Slowly, a smile crept across his face for the first time in days. “Leo, you hear that. They’re here.”

Kenny turned, searching the sky for their potential rescuers. Suddenly, there they were, two of the most beautiful pieces of flying machinery he’d ever laid eyes on. “Come on,” he encouraged, “we’re goin’ home.” O’Neal picked the injured man up off the ground, wrapped his arms around Leo’s chest and dragged him toward the clearing. 

As the two Hueys set down and the prop wash from the blades pushed the tree branches around, the lieutenant was filled with a growing sense of dread. The hair on the back of his neck began to rise … without turning he knew they were being watched. Kenny stopped just long enough to pick up the injured pilot, throwing him over his shoulder, and took off running.

“Look out!” 

Lieutenant O’Neal heard the warning in front of him too late …a burst of AK gunfire erupted to his left. There was no where to hide - to stop now meant certain death. Kenny ran as fast as his exhausted body would allow, adrenaline pumping, eyes focused on the open door only a few yards away. Two soldiers jumped out of the helicopter, brandishing their weapons, returning the fire from the jungle, allowing the downed airmen to reach the side of the ‘copter. 

“Come on, move!” bellowed the sergeant as he and his corporal grabbed either side of Kenny, rushing him through the door. 

O’Neal felt Leo being lifted from his shoulder as he was slammed to the floor of the Huey. 

“Go, go, GO!!”

“Wait, you can’t leave them!” Kenny protested as he realized they were taking off without the two gunmen who had protected them.

“They’re headed to Junior. Go, Goddammit!!”

A final burst of gunfire slammed into the helicopter as it left the ground.

“We’ve been hit!” the chopper gunman reported, returning ground fire. 

“He needs help up there. MOVE!”

“No, it’s all right! Just get us out of here!”

The Huey groaned with the effort, but quickly took to the air. They headed toward the medical evac area, knowing that the two men they had just picked up were in dire need of attention. 

The corporal ripped open Leo’s flight suit and began his assessment. He re-bandaged the injured man’s leg and checked the rest of his battered and bruised body.

“How’s he doin’?” shouted Kenny when they were out of immediate danger.

The medic on board shook his head, “Hard to say. I’ve seen worse survive.” 

The sergeant was busy on Leo’s other side as he started an IV of saline solution and readied a bottle of plasma. “He’s pretty dehydrated, and he’s got a helluva temp.”

“I tried to get some water in him, but he’s been sweatin’ it out as fast as I could put it in. He’s been out of it most of the time.”

“Yeah, looks like he’s lost a lot of blood from that leg wound. Infected too. How long you two been out here?” he questioned, handing a canteen of water to Kenny.

“What’s today?”

“Thursday.”

O’Neal took a long, slow drink of water, and thought distractedly it was just about the best thing he’d ever tasted. “Got shot down Monday night.”

“Three days? He get this when you ejected?”

“I don’t know. Probably, yeah.”

“It’s a wonder he made it this far. Must have an iron will.”

“He’s got some special people to go back to.”

“Don’t we all?”

“Yeah.”

A sudden, unexpected flurry of movement to Kenny’s right caught their attention.

“Hey! Hold on!” the sergeant yelled.

“Nooo!!” Leo cried as he began frantically thrashing about uncontrollably, threatening to pull his IV lines out. 

“Dammit! Help me here!” the corporal screamed.

Kenny moved in quickly and just as he had done in the jungle, laid on top of Leo. “Hold on, Mac,” he shouted, “these are the good guys! Don’t fight ‘em. We're on our way home!”

Suddenly, Leo went ridged, his eyes rolling back in his head. 

“Aw, fuck!” the sergeant cursed. “He going into …”

Leo seized, his muscles contracting violently. 

“He’s having convulsions! Get off him!”

Kenny rolled to the side and watched as the two medics administered medicine in an effort to control the seizures. “What’s happening?” he yelled.

“Fever’s sent him into convulsions,” the corporal yelled as he jammed a tongue depressor between Leo’s teeth. “He’s not allergic to anything that’s not on his tags, is he?”

“Leo McGarry’s not allergic to anything except the North Vietnamese Army.”

The corporal pulled the empty syringe from the IV line. “We’ve got to get antibiotics into him. You’re sure he’s not allergic to anything?”

“Yeah, I’m sure, caused we talked about it not that long ago,” Kenny shouted over the noise of the helicopter engines. “Said he’d seen one of our buddies have an allergic reaction to some Vietnamese food in town one night. Guy almost died before they could get him back to base. Said he was glad he wasn’t allergic to anything.”

Leo gradually settled down as the medicine took effect. With the wooden stick removed, the corporal checked to make sure the injured man in his care hadn’t swallowed his tongue. “This guy’s burning up. Got any ice left in that thing?”

“Not much, but here. Try it.”

The medic grabbed the small bag of ice and laid it on Leo’s chest, near his neck in an effort to lower the Captain’s temperature. 

“How far is it?” Kenny questioned.

“Won’t be long now,” came the conditioned response.

_Too long,_ Kenny thought to himself. He leaned in close and reached for Leo’s hand. “Hold on, Mac. You’re almost home,” he whispered. Kenny spent the rest of the flight praying as he watched his friend struggle to breathe.


	5. To Be or Not to Be

A warm breeze blew across his body, rustling the make-shift curtains around his bed. Leo McGarry could hear voices, but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Something had happened, he couldn’t remember exactly what, but he knew he was supposed to stay quiet – _Kenny … Kenny told me it was important to be still, it was important to be quiet._ Even so, he strained to hear the conversation taking place around him. 

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect him to survive, much less keep his leg. He’s not waking up though, that’s troublesome. How’s his fever?”

“Temp’s been holding at 100.3 degrees for the past three hours, Doctor. It’s down from this morning, though. He’s been making a bit of noise off and on, mostly in the last hour. He’s been calling for Kenny, or maybe Jenny. Hard to tell which.”

“How long were they out there?” he questioned the nurse.

“Three days. Not sure how the injury to his leg happened. It’s possible that he sustained the injury to his leg after they punched-out. His EWO, Lieutenant O’Neal says he wasn’t sure whether he was injured in the initial ejection, or whether he hit something on the way down.”

“Well, at some point his right hip was dislocated, but it apparently reduced itself on its own. It could have happened when he punched-out, I suppose, possibly at the same time he sustained the lower leg injury. The hip is extremely bruised and swollen, but it doesn’t appear to have been fractured. X-rays were inconclusive, so we’ll need to re-x-ray the hip, pelvis, and lumbar spine in two days. The lower leg, well, I don’t know if he caught it on something on the way out, whether he got it jammed in a tree on the way down, or maybe even got hit with a chunk of his own fuselage. Whatever it was not only caused a compound fracture of both tibia and fibula, but the muscle tissue, ligaments, and cartilage surrounding his knee and ankle were also torn. He’s had a helluva an infection in that leg. In fact, we’re lucky he hasn’t gone septic on us.”

“What are his chances?”

“Looks to me as though he’s got a long way to go. He regains consciousness in the next few hours or so, we’ll know better. The infection is still there, but it seems to be under control for now.” The doctor paused, mentally calculating the odds. “I honestly don’t know. There was so much debris in the wound, I’m surprised he’s made it this far.” Looking down at Leo, he concluded, “He’s tough. Seems to have a strong will to survive. If he does make it through without losing his leg, he’s still got a tough fight ahead of him.”

Leo listened as intently as his drug and fever induced haze would allow. It sounded as though the conversation was happening very close to him, in fact they might be talking about him. _Kenny, Jenny, busted up leg, yeah, that could be me._ Carefully, he opened his eyes, just a slit, trying to gauge his surroundings. It was difficult to tell where he was - all he saw from his position were white sheets hanging, blowing slightly with the breeze, and not much else. The people who had been speaking weren’t in his direct line of sight, and he didn’t want to take the chance of moving his head, of giving away his level of consciousness. He certainly didn’t want to be wrong about hearing English, and perhaps, the medics speaking about his condition. 

“Keep a close watch on him, Kelley. I want to know the minute he wakes up.”

“Yes, Sir. I have to change Gonzalez’s dressing, then I’ll check back on him.” 

The voices moved away, and after a few moments, Leo felt confident enough to open his eyes fully. He tried to turn his head, but it was swimming from a combination of drugs and fever. He was able to recognize a few noises, as people moved in and out of the area, and hoped beyond hope that when the nurse came back, she was indeed a member of the United States’ Military.

“I need to check on Captain McGarry. Can you help Doc with Baker?” he heard.

“Yeah, sure. After that, I’m headed to the Mess. You want me to bring you anything?”

“I’d take something cold to drink. It’s hotter than Hell in here.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Leo heard her coming back and quickly closed his eyes in an effort to hide the fact that he was awake. The nurse stepped around the barrier and moved to his side. Checking his pulse and blood pressure, she turned her back to write on his chart. 

As she shook the thermometer down, Leo decided to take a chance. He opened his eyes and saw she was wearing camo. “Ma’am,” he tried, his voice sounding as though he’d drunk sand. “Ma’am, please,” he croaked, but Kelley never heard the weak cry from the injured man … the simple effort of trying to talk had exhausted him. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he mustered up as much strength as he could to try one more time. “Ma’am, please.”

The small-framed nurse turned at the pitiful sound. She smiled warmly as he opened his eyes again and she moved back to his side, “Hey, welcome back, Captain.”

“Could I please … have some … water, Ma’am?”

“Sure. In fact, I’ll go get some ice chips, that’ll be even better. Be right back,” Nurse Kelley reassured him, patting his shoulder, and moved to retrieve the frozen water. As she passed another soldier’s bed, she caught the arm of Leo’s doctor. “Captain McGarry’s awake,” she grinned. “He’s asking for water. I’m going to get him some ice chips.”

Doctor Samuelson returned the smile and nodded, “Let me finish with Baker here, and I’ll be right there.”

“Yes, Sir.” 

Leo had closed his eyes again, relieved that he was in the right place. At least he thought he was in the right place. Between the fever, drugs, and disorientation, he could have just talked to a North Vietnamese interrogator and he wouldn’t have known the difference.

Rose Kelley stepped back through the curtains. “Here you go, Captain. Just a little at a time, though.” She tipped the spoon toward Leo’s mouth, delivering the frozen water to her patient. 

The ice felt incredibly good to Leo’s parched tongue. “Thanks,” he whispered through dry, chapped lips. 

“Here. Here’s some more.” She dropped a few more chips in his mouth before reaching for a damp cloth to wipe the perspiration from his forehead. “You’ve had a bit of rough go of it. We don’t want you to have too much water, because we’re giving you fluids through your IV, but ice is okay right now.” She laid another spoonful on his tongue. “You’re doing well, Captain.”

Leo tried hard to smile, “Not what I heard.”

“What are you talking about?” Kelley asked, curious as to his meaning.

“Your conversation. You were talking about me earlier,” Leo responded, his voice a little stronger now. “Surprised I’d lived this long, worried about infection, wondering if I’m going to keep my leg.”

“You heard all that? I thought you were unconscious.”

Leo took a deep breath, “Didn’t know if you were good guys, bad guys, or just figments of my delirium, Ma’am.”

“I see,” she nodded her understanding. “Guess I should have talked to you more. Let you know what was going on. I could have narrated your sponge baths for you.”

“You giving me sponge baths without me knowing it? That’s not very sporting, Ma’am,” Leo grinned a little wider, eyes drifting shut.

“Sorry. You know, they’re finding now that even in an unconscious state, patients can sometimes hear things.” Now it was her turn to grin, “Should have known better, good ol’ Irish boy like you.”

“Only half-Irish,” he admitted. “Other half’s Scottish.”

“Ahh. Well that explains some things. Irish temper, Scottish stubbornness. Served you well this time around, Captain.” 

The nurse put another spoonful of ice in Leo’s mouth. As it slowly melted, he questioned, “So, where am I, Ma’am?”

“You’re at the 27th Surgical Hospital in Chu Lai. You came to us after you were stabilized at the 85th Evac.”

“Mmm. Where’s Kenny?”

“Your Lieutenant?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“He was banged up, but otherwise okay. They let him go ambulatory yesterday, but I think he won’t be headed back until tomorrow. He’s been by a couple of times checking on you. He’ll probably stop by again later.”

Leo nodded, thankful for the information. “He’s headed back, Ma’am?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“Stateside. I guess he got the magical pass out of here.”

“Good. He deserves to go home, Ma’am.”

“Yeah. By the way Captain McGarry, my name’s Kelley. And this is Major Samuelson,” she introduced as the physician walked back to Leo’s side. “He’s the doctor who’s been working on you.” 

“Sir,” Leo acknowledged as he opened his eyes once more. 

“You’ve given us a run for our money, Captain.”

“Yes, Sir. Sorry about that.”

“How are you feeling.”

“Confused, hot, tired. Leg’s kinda numb, I think, Sir.”

“There was a lot of damage to both your leg and your hip.”

“Sir, will I keep it? My leg I mean.” Leo had seen more than one guy leave minus a limb or two, and he didn’t really want to become another statistic if it could be helped.

“I honestly don’t know, Captain. If it’s a choice between losing your leg and saving your life, I have to make that determination, and you’ll have to trust that I’m making the decision that will give you the best chance of staying alive. Right now, we’re trying to make sure we have a good handle on the infection you’ve been carrying around in there.”

“So what are the odds I go home in one piece, Sir?”

“Listen, Son, I know it’s hard not knowing, but I can’t give you information I don’t have. Just try to be patient and get some rest. It’s the best thing you can do right now. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” he sighed wearily, “I understand.”

“Lieutenant Kelley is on duty for another four hours, then you’ll have Captain Sarah McLaughlin. If you have any pain, any discomfort anywhere in your hip, your back, or your torso, you need to tell them immediately. Do you understand that, Captain?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Your leg is in bad shape, I’m not going to lie. If you keep it, it’s going to hurt for a long time, but we don’t want you to have to suffer. Let them know about the pain, whether it’s getting worse or not. They’re authorized to give you morphine every four hours as necessary. Tell them, don’t let it get too bad, because then it’ll take more to control it. Got it?”

“Sir, yes, Sir.”

“Are you in pain now?”

“It aches pretty bad, Sir, but it’s nothing like it was out there.”

“Yeah, well, you had nothing to control the pain out there in the bush, here you’ve had some medication.” The doctor turned his attention back to Kelley. “Lieutenant, let’s give him one more mg of morphine, keep him settled while we try to get his fever down to a reasonable level. That okay with you, McGarry?”

“Yes, Sir.” He watched distractedly as Kelley administered the pain-killer, then asked, “Just, tell me one thing, Sir, if you can.”

“What’s that?”

“You gonna be able to keep me alive through this?”

The doctor chuckled, “We’re going to try, that’s for sure. We’ve got too much time invested in you to let you die now.”

Leo grinned as the morphine began to take hold. “Thank you, Sir. I got a gal back home … who’ll be … happy to hear … that.”

“What’s her name?”

“Jenny.”

“You were calling for her a little while ago,” the Lieutenant noted.

“Pretty special, is she, McGarry?”

Leo sighed, suddenly aware of how much Jennifer Erin O’Brien actually meant to him. “She’s the … only reason … made it out of … that damned … jungle alive, Sir.”

“Sounds like a good reason to hold on through it all.”

“Yes … Sir.” 

Leo gradually drifted off to sleep, this time, reasonably sure he was safe. It had been a long ordeal, one he’d just as soon forget. But deep down inside, he knew he never would.


	6. Epilogue - Promises Kept

Former Secretary of Labor and White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry stood quietly at the west end of the long, chevron-shaped black granite wall as he had every year on this date since its construction. Panel 53W, line 49. That’s where he’d find them. The two men who were responsible for his safe return to Jenny, to Jed and Abbey, and to the rest of his family. It was because of them, he had had made it home. It was because of them that he had been able to keep his promise, and had married the love of his life. It was because of them that he had been blessed with a beautiful daughter and a brand new grandson. It was because of them that he would stand on the steps of the United States Capitol tomorrow and swear an oath to become Vice-President of the United States. 

It was to them that he owed his very life … Lance Corporal Scott Jameson, Sergeant Robert DeGeorges. Two men he’d never met. Two men who had jumped into the line of fire. Two men who had sacrificed their lives in a small clearing more than 30 years ago today, all to get him and Kenny home … more than 30 years ago, nearly 10,000 miles away. _There were days that it seemed like only yesterday._

Leo stared at The Wall, his own reflection mixing with the thousands of names of those souls lost and missing. Somewhere, off to his right, he was vaguely aware of the camera shutters clicking away, and of the ever-present pool of reporters that had followed him since November 2nd. Seemed to Leo that they were almost trying too hard to find a story. Instead of seeing him as the elder Democratic leader that he was, they either wanted to find a fatal flaw to discredit him, or they wanted to make him out to be some kind of hero. 

Hero. _He wasn’t a hero. Not even close. But the men and women memorialized on this wall, were …_

The press pool had long-ceased to be a concern of the Vice-President Elect’s - that was Ron Butterfield’s little detail to worry about. Realizing that his private moments were all but a distant memory, that there would be those who would claim this whole visit to the Vietnam Memorial was staged, he took a deep breath and followed the same routine he had in years past. Slowly, he pulled his leather glove off and reached out to gently lay his hand on the cold, smooth stone surface, carefully tracing the two names, feeling the deep grooves that served as an everlasting reminder of their ultimate sacrifice.

Leo bowed his head, and rested his palm over the names, as the cameras snapped furiously, the obtrusive noise a stark contrast to the silence that had always accompanied his trip to The Wall. The former United States Air Force Captain ignored the intrusion and silently prayed that he had lived up to his obligation, that he had indeed lived his life with honor and integrity, that he had, that he _would_ make a difference. He knew nothing less would suffice to repay the life-long debt he owed these two men, and the thousands of other men and women who had sacrificed their lives in that distant jungle four decades ago. 

Finally, he asked that when it was his time to go, he’d somehow be allowed to meet the men who had died saving his life. 

A quiet peacefulness suddenly came over Leo. He slowly raised his head to gaze at the two names once more. There had been days when he’d visited this memorial that he felt an unusually strong connection, as if the men he honored were on the other side of the black granite wall, pushing back. 

_Today was one of those days …_

He nodded slightly and allowed a small, wistful smile to come to his face. 

“Thank you.”


End file.
